grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

For families juggling grocery bills and hectic mornings, that math is the reason Dollar Tree’s protein aisle keeps showing up on shopper roundups and social feeds. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 16, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026

Stretching a grocery budget without giving up your morning caffeine fix or your protein goals is a challenge, and Dollar Tree has quietly become a destination for shoppers trying to do both. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

That is according to new analysis from Bain & Company using NielsenIQ grocery data shared exclusively with CNBC. — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Vanessa Hudgens puts together a cute summer ‘fit for a grocery run to Sprouts Market in Downey, California. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

Video

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store